Mysore (Mysuru)

Mysuru is a city in southern Karnataka at the foot of the Chamundi Hills. Its name is traditionally associated with Mahishasura, a figure in Hindu mythology, and with the goddess Chamundeshwari, who is believed to have defeated him. When these photographs were taken in 2004, the city’s official English name was still Mysore. The spelling Mysuru became official on November 1, 2014.

The Wadiyar dynasty rose to power in the region in 1399, but Mysuru was not the kingdom’s uninterrupted capital. Srirangapatna served as the capital of Mysore from 1610 until 1799, when Tipu Sultan was killed during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War. The Wadiyar dynasty was subsequently restored under British authority, with Mysuru again serving as the royal center. Mysore remained a princely state until Indian independence in 1947.

Devaraja Market is one of Mysuru’s oldest and most recognizable public markets. The present complex dates to 1886 and developed from an earlier weekly market. It was constructed above the Dewan Poornaiah Canal, which once carried water to Mysore Palace. The market was named for Dodda Devaraja Wadiyar in 1925 and is also known as Dodda Market.

Fruit, vegetables, flowers, spices, incense, oils, household goods, and brightly colored kumkuma powders are sold through the market’s aisles, shops, courtyards, and open vending areas. The market functions not only as a place of trade but also as an everyday social space used by Mysuru residents.

During the 2020s, the market’s structural condition and proposals for demolition, reconstruction, or restoration became the focus of public conservation campaigns and legal disputes. The photographs therefore have additional historical value as documentation created before the most recent preservation controversies and proposed changes to the market.